Mt. San Jacinto Outdoor Recreation

Howdy All

We left around 6 AM, hoping to get back down before the Oaks closed at 2:30. Patches of snow up to Manzanita flats (John's meadow trail junction), then nearly continuous snow thereafter. Once we traversed around the ridge after the sign, we diverted from the trail, donned microspikes and went XC up and left. We were able to skirt most of the brush using this approach.
The summer trail goes to the right of this ridge, we were on the left side.

Once we reached the saddle at 9.3 K, we swapped the micros for snowshoes. The snow had consolidated nicely and we made good time up to the San Gorgonio backbone, reaching west San Bernardino peak at 10:15 AM. The snow on the ridge was a corrugated mess -- we were grateful to be wearing snowshoes. It was warm enough that we were able to enjoy lunch in our t-shirts. The contrast between the north and south side of the range was amazing -- almost no snow on the south side. Made it back to Sally's car at 1:20 and were rewarded with excellent burgers at the Oaks.

Miles of smiles,
Ellen

Ellen wrote:Howdy All

We left around 6 AM, hoping to get back down before the Oaks closed at 2:30. Patches of snow up to Manzanita flats (John's meadow trail junction), then nearly continuous snow thereafter. Once we traversed around the ridge after the sign, we diverted from the trail, donned microspikes and went XC up and left. We were able to skirt most of the brush using this approach.
The summer trail goes to the right of this ridge, we were on the left side.

Once we reached the saddle at 9.3 K, we swapped the micros for snowshoes. The snow had consolidated nicely and we made good time up to the San Gorgonio backbone, reaching west San Bernardino peak at 10:15 AM. The snow on the ridge was a corrugated mess -- we were grateful to be wearing snowshoes. It was warm enough that we were able to enjoy lunch in our t-shirts. The contrast between the north and south side of the range was amazing -- almost no snow on the south side. Made it back to Sally's car at 1:20 and were rewarded with excellent burgers at the Oaks.

Miles of smiles,
Ellen

LIKE

Hi y'all, you should see Ellen go when we are in cheeseburger mode. We really made tracks coming down from the peak!

I had a fabulous time, Ellen! It was nice to squeeze in another snowshoe trip before the season's up.